Outreach services are exactly what they sound like; one person reaches out to another person through    a program designed to facilitate the building of warm and caring relationships. COA Volunteers provide the manpower behind our outreach services to frail, aged seniors and younger people with disability.

First and foremost are our Meal Delivery Team who deliver fully prepared chilled meals three days a week to the Eastern Suburbs, and once weekly to outlaying suburbs. These volunteers do so much more than just deliver a meal. They are trained to observe their regular recipients and build a relationship with them. At least 10 minutes is spent at each delivery talking to the recipient, checking the fridge for excess stocks of uneaten meals, and observing the overall condition of the home and their client. Any details which the deliverer thinks may be an issue are reported back to COA who can then confirm changes in the clients circumstances, and make an informed referral to the Social Workers of JewishCare. They will then make an assessment of the client at home and refer them on  to personal and home care services if needed.

COA Fresh is also a food service which delivers a free bag of simple raw fruit and vegetables weekly. It started during the time  of COVID when people could not easily or safely get to the shops on their own, and has remained a mainstay for numerous COA members. Volunteers both pack and deliver the COA Fresh bags  Again the volunteer deliverers are encouraged to spend time with recipients they visit and observe and report any obvious changes in demeanor which may warrant an assessment by Social Workers. As the service is  provided free of charge to recipients, it is means tested to ensure those most vulnerable have ongoing food security. Ingredients for the bags are sponsored by Peter and Jenny Wohl and family, with additional donations of fruit and vegetables from Oz Harvest.

Hannah Meyer Project volunteers regularly visit a number of non-Jewish residential aged care                facilities to bring their Jewish residents a little Yiddishkeit through the lighting of Shabbat candles and a traditional Kiddush with challah and grape juice. At Festival times during the year the Hannah Meyer Project joins forces with the Jewish House to provide Chaggim packages with the special foods we associate with each Festival;

Hamantaschen for Purim, Cheese Cake for Shavuot, Matzo for Pesach, and even men to blow shofar for residents at High Holidays. Volunteers in this program include young families with children to make the Kiddush, lending an important intergenerational aspect to the services, and helping to teach the    children in our community the joy of giving.

All Volunteers providing manpower for the Hannah Meyer Project, Kosher Meals-on-Wheels and COA Fresh services, will continue to be coordinated by the staff of COA, as will all volunteers presenting weekly group activities at the COA Centre and those providing office support, data entry, packing  newsletters, managing events, and organisational governance. 

Those Volunteers who have been involved in the  Shalom Connect and Tea for 2 are asked to contact:

JewishCare Manager of Volunteer Services, Lana Kofman.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 8305 8040 | Mobile 0413 947 155 

Hours: Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm

Similarly, those volunteers who have helped deliver the Club COA program on Mondays and Wednesdays, or have been assistants on Bus Outings, or have volunteered at the Sunday Movie are encouraged to contact Lana Kofman to continue their good work at the Burger Centre. 

We encourage you all to keep on volunteering, keep being connected to community, keep giving back, and if you have never volunteered before step up if you can: there’s always a space for one more!